Definition

A type of medication that acts as a sedative and is used to help with sleep or to relax patients before surgery.

Example

The doctor prescribed pentobarbital to help the patient sleep before the procedure.

Conversation

Have you ever heard of pentobarbital?

Yeah, isn't it used as a sedative?

Exactly! I read that it can help with anxiety in some cases.

That makes sense, but it sounds a bit strong for just stress.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Pentobarbital is formed from 'penta-' (from Greek 'pente', meaning five) and 'barbital' (derived from 'barbituric acid', which is a compound related to the barbiturate class of drugs). The term refers to a barbiturate with a five-membered structure, indicating its chemical composition.

Memory Tip

Think of 'five' ('penta-') to remember that pentobarbital is a type of barbiturate, which is a drug related to barbituric acid.

Visually Confused Words